"An Unconditional Follower"

Many years ago in an Indiana town I was preaching in a revival type meeting and an older gentleman came to be baptized at the conclusion of the service. We talked briefly and he affirmed his faith in Jesus as Lord but when he came out of the dressing room he stopped at the baptistry and asked me to wait a moment. He turned and went back into the dressing room and came out carrying his wallet. I hadn't seen this happen before so asked if he was afraid someone might steal his unguarded wallet. His reply went something like this: "No sir but I have lived all of my life for selfish things and now I want to follow Jesus all the way so I think I need to baptize my wallet too!" I didn't argue with that.

One of the hardest things Jesus ever said, at least in my mind, is these words:
      "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his
       brothers and sisters - yes even his own life - he cannot be my disciple. And anyone does not
       carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26-27 NIV

To me, the word "hate" is such an ugly, unnecessary word in this context. I fully understand hating sin and the weaknesses of the flesh all of us struggle with. I get it that we must learn to love those who see us as enemies and vice versa. But my parents, my wife and kids, my brothers and sisters? Even my own life?! Then there is this word "cannot". That word is emphatic and has no hope in it. For a long time I have struggled to understand what Jesus is telling me to do because I too am an "anyone".

I have come to realize that Jesus' words must be interpreted within the context of the moment. Luke says that Jesus was being followed by large crowds who traveled with him. Not much different from today. Probably most of them were merely curious to see the next miracle he would perform than what he had to say. Or maybe these large crowds were just checking him out to compare him with the reported 60 or so others who had come on the scene claiming to be the Messiah. He did have a reputation of being somewhat subversive in his teaching about their religious leaders and the rules and regulations they had been taught all their lives.

In today's context, being a "church goer" or a "believer" is not the same thing as being a true "follower" of Jesus. The word "disciple" literally means putting your feet into the footprints of Jesus and walk where he walks. To do that, you must keep your eyes on him, not your parents or your family or even your own likes and dislikes. Many of those early Christ followers were ostracized, disinherited and disowned by their own families simply because of their faith in Jesus. Read the book of Hebrews carefully and you will understand that many of them were turning back to the familiar Judaism they had been reared in. The social pressure had to be enormous for Jews and Gentiles alike.

Is Jesus telling me that I must gather my parents and my family together and tell them I "hate" them? I hope not because I could never do that. I love them. So, I have to use a little common sense here and see Jesus' words in a realistic way. I need to be shocked into the reality that nothing and no one in my life is as crucial as my relationship with Jesus as Lord. He will be first or not at all. Is that difficult to do? I'll let you answer that for yourself.

My new brother or sister, following Jesus is a whole new way of thinking about how I relate to others, even in my own family. It can cost you relationships that you have had all your life but please don't surrender to the pressure that seeks to elevate any of them above Jesus. There is no conflict between being a Jesus follower and other relationships in your life. He wants you to be a model for them of what the love of God really is so take some time to read Matthew 5, 6 & 7, the Sermon On The Mount, and write down the specifics you find there about how to relate in this new way in your world. Above all, pray for guidance from the Holy Spirit to lead and instruct you. He is your guide in all things related to discipleship.

Be blessed until next time.

"Following Jesus Is A Learned Lifestyle"

After nearly a decade of blogging on "The Hallelujah Chorus" I have decided to create this new effort to try to reach out to a very special target group of folks who are new to following Jesus. Although what I write is easily appropriated by anyone who is seeking a deeper relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, my primary aim is to encourage those who are new in Christ. Actually, I have to confess that I really have one particular, very special person in my heart for this project. As a new follower of Jesus only since the end of December 2013, she is mine and the Rose's newest daughter in Jesus. But, I have never seen one more excited and proud of what God is doing in her life.

During my half century of ministry and church leadership I fear I haven't done a good job of preparing most new disciples of Jesus for the ministry he has called all of us into. I've always known that to be a vital part of Jesus' commission to "make disciples.....baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Matt 28:20) However, I have no way of knowing how many of the thousands I have shared the good news with and/or baptized into Jesus learned to actually follow him as Lord. I pray every single one of them is still on that divine upward journey. 

Okay, so here we go.

Following Jesus isn't complicated but doing so can really complicate your life. All you need do is read about how Jesus' early disciples struggled to incorporate all he taught and modeled into their daily lives. Peter had a very difficult time getting past the racism his Jewish upbringing had drilled into him about all non Jews. Judas was fine with betraying Jesus to the Jewish leaders despite all that he saw and heard from him because he just didn't fit Judas' expectations of Messiah. Jesus' Apostles engaged in what might have been at least a 2 year argument over which of them was at the top of their "pecking order". Jesus taught them there is no hierarchy in his kingdom. Only servants who seek the welfare of others.

Here is how the mighty Apostle Paul learned to see this journey every disciple of Jesus must take:

     "One thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press

       on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us

       who are mature think this way." Philippians 3:14-15 ESV

"Pressing on" with "upward" thinking is the road to maturity as we are Learning To Follow Jesus. Learn patience with yourself and others in your life. Always know that what Peter learned is true for you too:
      "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking
        for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your
       brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same sufferings. And the God of all grace
       who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will
       himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast." 1 Peter 5:8-11 NIV

Please feel free to share this with anyone you think can be encouraged by it. We will get down to more real nitty-gritty as we go along. The address is www.kentsutherlandnewblog@blogspot.com.
Til next time Be Blessed!